Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-04-07

An Amended Report or Cardinal Gibbons Of Bal.
tfmara


Rome, March rs. The text OF Cardinal
Gibbons report on the Knights oil Labor
shows that several additions nave been
made to the report as originally published.
Referring to the objection urged againstth
organization. the cardinal says:
1T is objected that in this kind OF or
g~anization Catholics mix with Proteetants
to the peril OF their faith. Amongst O
mixed people like ours separation OF relig-
ions in civil affairs is not possible. To
suppose that the faith OF Catholics suffers
shows ignorance OF the Catholic workmea
OF America. who regard the church as
their mother. They are intelligent,
instructed. devoted and ready to
give their blood as they give their
hard-earned gains for her support
and protection" To the question wheth-
err it would not be better to havs the organ
ization conducted by priests under the di-
rect influence OF religion, the cardinal re-
plies that he thinks it neither possible nor
necessary. I'm our country" BIO says,
1--WE have abundant means OF making
Catholics good without going SO far"
1t being objected that the liberty OF
the organization exposes Catholics to
deadly influences and associates more
dangerous than even communists and an
archists. the cardinal said it was true, but
that one proof OF faith would not try
American Catholics. To day such infiu.
ences they were exposed every day, and they
knew them well and despised them. Dan
ger would arise from acol1ness between the
church and her children. which nothing
would more surely occasion than impru-
dent condemnation. Special stress being
laid upon the violence, even to the shed
ding of blood, which has characterized
strikes inaugurated by workingmen's as
sociations the cardinal says: STRIKES are
not the invention OF the Knights, but a
universal perpetual means by which work.
ingmen protest against what is unjust, and
demand their rights. In such a struggle
of the multitudes OF the poor against hard
obstinate monopolies wrath and violence
are often inevitable as they are regretable.
The laws and the principal authorities ofthe
Knights, so far from encouraging violence
or o scasions for violence exercise a powerful
preventative influence, seeking to keep
strikes within the limits OF the legitimate
action. An attentive examination to the
violent struggles betwee Ia labor and capital
has convinced me OF the injustice OF at
~tributing violence to the Knights OF
Labor. The part OF Christian
prudence is to attempt to bind the hearts
Of the multitude with ties OF low for the
purpose OF controlling them by the princi-
pals OF faith, justice and charity. Remoy-
ed from what is false and criminal, there
will converge into n legitimate, peaceful,
beneficent struggle that which by repulsiye
severity, might become for the masses of
our people a volcanic abyss similar to that
which society fears and which the church
deplores in Europe" The cardinal re-
c~ogniEed that the great question of the
future is not q question OF war,
or nnance, but a social question touching
the Moderation OF the condition OF the
popular masses, especially w~orkinsmen.
Therefore it is of sovereign Importance
that the church be found always firmly
ranged on the side OF humanity and Justice
towards the multitudes composing the
body of the human family. The conditions
OF the lower classes at present cannot and
should not continue.